Back from the Other Side
by takaondo
Summary: Snapshots of moments between Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia as her birthday slowly approaches. Written for the '7 days for a birthday' drabble challenge.
1. Our Steady Tempo

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Note:** This is going to be a start of the '7 days for a birthday challenge' from BA's IchiRuki Forums. Though there's always the chance I might not finish, I'm sure going to try. I will also be attempting to link the themes together to form a story rather than have them as one-shots.

May contain errors, but I'll get around to fixing them. Enjoy.

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_Theme: Chappy_

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><p><strong><em>Our Steady Tempo<em>**

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Kuchiki Rukia walked down the toy aisle of a small corner store. Wearing casual winter clothes, nobody would have thought she was a Shinigami - a high ranking one none the less - nor someone who was over a century old. Her eyes were bright with a mix of curiosity and happiness as she looked at all of the foreign objects that sat atop the shelves. Among them were small cars, and plenty of cute stuffed animals. She smiled lightly as she stopped in her steps to take in her surroundings.

"There you are." A gruff voice said, causing her to turn with a slight look of surprise. Kurosaki Ichigo was at the end of the aisle. Just like her, he was wearing his winter clothing. "I was wondering where you had went, Rukia."

"You were?" She asked.

"You didn't say anything before you ran off." He replied with a small frown as he walked up to her.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she frowned back in return. She turned away with a small 'hmph.'

"Don't treat me like a little kid, Ichigo." Rukia said sternly as she picked up a big white teddy bear off the shelf. She lifted it above her with a rather childish expression on her face. "If your ears were bigger, you'd look just like Chappy!"

Ichigo's face deadpanned at her gesture. "I find it hard not to sometimes."

His face lit up with surprise for a moment as he finally noticed the section he was in. He watched silently as Rukia continued to pick up small stuffed animals from the shelves one by one before looking at them with that same childish expression.

She caught him staring at her from the corner of her eyes, and turned to him. "Is something wrong, Ichigo?"

"Ah..." Ichigo started uncertainly. "I didn't know that you liked this kind of stuff."

She blinked at him for a few moments with confusion on her face.

"Is it weird that I like cute things?" She asked.

"No." He replied with a small grin. "I was just thinking that no matter how different you really are, you really are just like any other girl."

Rukia only frowned at his statement. "I don't know whether that's an insult or a compliment."

"Idiot." Ichigo replied as he walked up next to her. His eyes scanned the stuffed animals. "You know I didn't mean anything with that statement. Besides, you are the only girl I know..."

He pulled out a big stuffed white rabbit, and showed it to Rukia with a bored expression. She snatched it out of his hand in a flash with a gasp, but his unchanging face showed that he had expected nothing less from her.

"... that is obsessed with rabbits." He finished flatly.

Ichigo fell silent as he watched her play with the little stuffed rabbit in her arms. He was seeing a side of her that not many got to see; her violet eyes were lit up with nothing but pure happiness and her face graced with a beautiful smile. Her gestures gave off such innocence that he couldn't suppress the grin that tugged at the corner of his lips.

He determinedly quickly shook it off, unwilling to let it get the best of him.

"Your birthday is coming up in a few days, isn't it?" Ichigo said with a scowl, looking away as he scratched the back of his head. Rukia glanced at him. "Since it's a special occasion, I'll -"

"Don't bother buying it for me, Ichigo." Rukia interrupted, causing him to look at her with surprise. She placed the rabbit plush back onto the shelf. "I know the social customs in the real world dictates that you have to get me a present for my birthday, but I'd prefer it if you didn't spend your hard earned money getting me vanity items."

She turned to him and gave him a grateful smile. "I know you've been working hard to save up money for a long time now, so use it for something important instead, okay?"

Ichigo looked as though he wanted to argue, but held his tongue. "If you say so, Rukia."

She nodded reassuringly. "Besides, we're here to buy ingredients for dinner, remember? I think I'll go start looking for the ingredients that Yuzu had listed for us."

And with that, she started to walk away.

For a few moments, Ichigo stayed still, watching Rukia's retreating backside with an inexpressive gaze as she disappeared into the distance. As he stood there, the words that she had said earlier to him echoed clearly in his memories.

"_I know you've been working hard to save up money for a long time now, so use it for something important instead, okay?" _

Ichigo slowly turned, and looked back at the abandoned rabbit plush on the shelf. Its floppy ears had fallen cutely over its face. He took it back into his hands and smiled lightly.

"I am using it for something important, idiot."

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_End of Chapter 1_

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	2. Moment of Rhapsody

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Note:** Second theme. May contain errors.

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_Theme: Cooking_

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><p><strong><em> Moment of Rhapsody<em>**

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"Ouch!" A voice cried out.

The cry of pain had echoed loudly from the kitchen of the Kurosaki Household. Luckily, no one else was home to hear the inaudible curses and swears that followed after it.

"Stop fidgeting, Ichigo." Another voice said firmly. "You're only making this take longer."

With the both of them sitting down at the kitchen table, Kuchiki Rukia scowled as she continued to bandage Kurosaki Ichigo's hand. His other hand was already bandaged, and he flexed this hand with a scowl; his fingers seemed to have trouble moving from how tight it had been wrapped.

"What kind of idiot burns himself cooking?" Rukia asked with a frown, still concentrating hard on her first-aid work. "And both of his hands at that."

"Che." Ichigo replied immaturely as he looked away with a scowl.

"You're lucky that I returned when I did." She continued. "Or else you'd be doing this yourself."

Ichigo scoffed. "I think I'd probably do a better job with my burned hands."

An angry nerve thumped angrily on Rukia's forehead as she wound the bandage a little tighter than she would have normally, eliciting another painful cry from Ichigo. Then, whether it was out of fear or a lack of any sarcastic remarks, he said nothing more and allowed Rukia to finish up in peace.

"Alright, I'm done. Your hands should heal up in no time." Rukia said as she quickly packed up the first-aid kit. Ichigo winced as she gave his hand a quick pat, but she only grinned. "Don't be a wimp. Even if I had use Kidou, it wouldn't have eased the pain your feeling."

"Thanks." Ichigo replied grudgingly, not even trying to hide the scowl on his face.

"You sure made a mess, Ichigo." Rukia said as she got up and looked around. Flour and egg shells were laid out in a clutter across the kitchen counter. "What were you making, anyways?"

"Lunch." He replied dumbly.

"Looks like you failed miserably." Rukia said bluntly, getting an unseen glare from Ichigo in the background. Her expression lit up as an idea popped into her head and she turned to Ichigo with a bright grin. "Hey, how about I cook up something for you instead? All of the cookware is out after all."

Ichigo blinked at her. "You?"

"Don't worry." She said confidently as she removed the apron from the hangar. "Yuzu taught me how to use these modern world appliances."

Ichigo watched with amazement as she started to cook. She didn't seem too familiar using the rice cooker or the stove, but she didn't once ask him for any help. He couldn't help but grin lightly at this notion; her stubbornness, though often annoying, made her who she was. Even if he had offered to help, she would have definitely refused.

A few moments later, Rukia carried over a large tray and placed it on the table.

"Done." She said proudly as she crossed her arms, obviously impressed by her own skill. Her eyes lit up expectantly at Ichigo. "What do you think?"

Ichigo looked down at his lunch. From the miso soup to the carefully placed steamed fish and even the seasonality of the vegetables, everything on his tray defined what he knew of traditional washoku, the type of Japanese cuisine that could have been served to people in the past century.

Ichigo's face deadpanned. "It feels like I've gone back in time."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Rukia asked excitedly, ignoring his comment. She grinned as she held out his chopsticks. "Taste it!"

Ichigo reached for them, and winced lightly as they dropped from his injured hand. Noticing this, Rukia picked them up with a small frown.

"I have to do everything for you, don't I?" She said with mild annoyance.

Ichigo watched with growing sense of dread as she picked up his bowl of rice.

"Wait - what are you doing?" He sputtered.

"I'm going to feed you." Rukia said as her eyebrows furrowed. "Isn't it obvious?"

Ichigo's mouth fell open slightly at her statement, and he was unable to formulate an audible response to what she was about to do. Oblivious to his uneasiness about the situation, she picked up some of the rice with her chopsticks and held it just a few inches from his mouth. He stared at it blankly, and she frowned lightly at his behavior.

"If you don't want to eat my cooking, then just say so." She said.

He looked at her and was surprised to see the smallest hint of disappointment in her eyes. With a sudden surge of courage, he quickly bit onto her chopsticks and pulled away. A deep scowl set upon his face as he avoided her gaze; he seemed determined not to look at her as he chewed and swallowed.

Rukia stared at him with confusion and Ichigo glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. The look of innocence on her face told him all he needed to know. She didn't understand why he was uncomfortable, nor did she feel uncomfortable at all at what she was doing. Part of him wished that it was the same for him, and the other part of him wanted to shrink away into his chair and disappear.

Still none the wiser, Rukia smiled smugly at him, simply happy that he was eating what she cooked.

"How is it? Good, right?" She said brightly.

Still unable to meet her eyes, Ichigo quietly answered her, scowling lightly to hide the embarrassment he felt.

"Ah."

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_End of Chapter 2_

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	3. Black and White Reprise

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Note:** Third theme. May contain errors.

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_Theme: Nii-sama  
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><p><strong><em>Black and White Reprise<em>**

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Kuchiki Rukia's soft footsteps echoed on the wooden planks as she walked along the veranda that stretched along the outside of the Kuchiki Estate. She seemed a little lost in thought as she walked along, and only looked up at the sound of another approaching person. With bright orange hair and a deep scowl that hid an otherwise handsome face, Kurosaki Ichigo muttered under his breath as he walked, and just like her, he was almost too distracted by his own thoughts to notice her.

"Ichigo?" Rukia called out to him.

He looked up at the sound of his name, and his eyes lit up with surprise when he saw her.

"Rukia..." Ichigo muttered.

"What are you doing here?" Rukia asked curiously as she walked up to him.

"Ah... I was coming by to see if you were busy or not." Ichigo replied off-handedly as he scratched the back of his head. The two of them started to walk side by side along the veranda.

"Idiot." She said sternly. She crossed her arms over her chest. "You know I have my vice-captain duties."

"Ah, right." He replied rather absentmindedly.

Rukia's eyes brows furrowed. Ichigo was acting rather strangely. She had known him long enough to know his most subtle habits. She noticed the way he kept avoiding her gaze, the deep scowl that was etched upon his features, and the slight dejected look in his eyes.

"You look a little more annoyed than you normally do." She said knowingly. Her eyes lit up inquisitively. "Did something happen?"

Though he was surprised by her perceptiveness, a scowl quickly made its way back onto his face. "I just had a bad encounter with your older brother, that's all."

"With Nii-sama?" Rukia asked. She glared at him. "You didn't do anything stupid, did you?"

"Why do you assume it's my fault?" Ichigo retorted heatedly.

"Because it normally is." Rukia replied matter-of-factly.

The two of them walked over and sat down at the wooden steps that was at the front of the garden. Surrounded by soft grass and a multitude of unidentifiable flowers, a small pond lay at the center of the garden where the soft trickles of its water created an unmatched tranquil atmosphere. They both sat there, and enjoyed the scenery for a few moments.

Rukia was the first to speak. "So what happened? You normally brush off everything he says to you."

"Don't worry, we didn't get into a serious fight or anything like that." Ichigo explained with a slight scowl. "It's just that he's always so strict about rules and tradition, so whenever we meet, things always tend go wrong between us."

Rukia fell silent in thought for a few moments before she turned to him.

"Ichigo, do you hate Nii-sama?" She asked brusquely.

Ichigo turned to Rukia with a look of surprise. She was looking up at him with a firm yet curious expression. Though the question itself was quite innocent, it had caught Ichigo off-guard, and to Rukia, the answer to it seemed more important than anything else that moment. He slowly turned away as he contemplated on his answer.

"I don't hate him." Ichigo finally replied as he looked up into the sky.

"I did hate him once though, back then when you were taken away. I had hated him back then because of what he had did to you and how he had treated you." He paused for a moment before he continued. "But it's different now. I can tell that he truly cares for you, even if he does show it in a roundabout way. He's done a lot to make you happy."

He lowered his gaze and his eyes softened. "How can I possibly hate someone like that?"

"Ichigo..." Rukia muttered in surprise before she smiled, satisfied with his answer. She grinned slyly as she ribbed him. "It almost sounds like you respect him."

Ichigo scoffed at her comment. "As if!"

As though on cue, Kuchiki Byakuya slowly approached them from the other end of the hallway. Both Rukia and Ichigo turned to him as he stopped a few feet away from them.

"Rukia. Ukitake-taichou has sent for you. It's time for you to return to your duties." He said.

The change in Rukia was almost instantaneous. With a firm expression on her face, she nodded in response to her brother. "Yes, Nii-sama."

She then quickly rose back onto her feet, but as she turned to leave, she looked back and gave Ichigo a small smile.

"I'll see you later, Ichigo." She said.

"Ah." Ichigo replied.

The two men watched as her small figure disappeared into the distance. Ichigo slowly rose up, stretching slightly before turning to look at Byakuya. The two of them stared at one another for a few moments in silence. A frown slowly made its way onto Ichigo's face as the staring contest continued.

"Is there something else you want to say to me?" Ichigo asked rudely.

Byakuya's face remained unchanged despite his impolite tone.

"About what we discussed earlier..." He said as he turned his back on Ichigo. "I will reconsider asking for you. Just know that I cannot guarantee it."

Ichigo's face lit up with surprise, and as Byakuya motioned to leave, he called out to him. "Byakuya!"

Byakuya stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. The scowl on Ichigo's face had dropped and for a brief moment, he almost looked grateful.

"Thank you." Ichigo said.

Byakuya stared at the man who stood on the grass below him. Though the years had changed his appearance, he was still the same brash young man that he had met that night. He was still the same person he had fought atop Soukyoku Hill. Byakuya had realized long ago that the person who had changed the most wasn't Ichigo...

"There's no need to thank me." Byakuya replied as he turned away.

But himself.

"Also, allow me leave you with one last thing, Kurosaki Ichigo." Byakuya added, causing Ichigo to look at him curiously. "Though men often hate one another for many different reasons, respect is often given for the same reason."

And with that, he left, leaving Ichigo standing there alone with a completely confused expression on his face.

"What the hell is that suppose to mean...?"

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_End of Chapter 3_

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	4. Footprints in the Snow

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Note:** Fourth theme. May contain errors. I'm already finding it hard to keep up the pace with this challenge.

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_Theme: Sode no Shirayuki_

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><p><em><strong>Footprints in the Snow<strong>_

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Countless snowflakes fell from the late night sky, shimmering like stars as the moonlight reflected off of them. A thin layer of snow had already covered the ground, though the small figure that danced atop it didn't seem to mind at all.

Sode no Shirayuki's white blade sliced through the air and its long white tassel trailed gracefully behind it. Kuchiki Rukia's eyes were narrowed in concentration as she continued her sword exercises. The snow covered training ground she was at was littered with her footprints, evidence of just how long she had been training there. She looked tired; sweat rolled down the side of her face despite the cold, and each heavy breath she took froze in the crisp night air.

"Rukia." A voice called out to her.

Her movements froze, and she turned to the newcomer. Kurosaki Ichigo walked towards her, his own feet creating new footprints as he crushed the newly fallen snow.

"Ichigo?" Rukia said with surprise. "What are you still doing here?"

"I was about to head home, but I wanted to come say good-bye before I left." Ichigo replied.

"You've been here all day, haven't you?" Rukia asked as she cocked her head. "I heard Ukitake-taichou mentioning that you were here this morning."

"Ah." He replied. "I had things to take care of."

Rukia looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry that I was too busy to meet with you today."

"That's okay." Ichigo replied. He looked around the training ground. "What are you doing out here so late anyways?"

"I've been training -"

She stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes suddenly widened as her vision started to blur. Her world started to tilt and she slowly fell over to the side. The last thing she remembered seeing was Ichigo's worried expression as he ran towards her.

"Rukia!" His voice echoed.

Later that night, Ichigo was carrying Rukia on his back as he walked through the empty streets of Seireitei. Snow continued to fall softly and gently around them. With her arms wrapped around his neck, Rukia was now awake and alert but she still looked tired with fatigue. Ichigo sported his normal scowl on his face as he carried her. Though he tried his best to be calm, he was barely able to hide the concern that he felt.

"You should be more careful." He said heatedly. "Who knows what could have happened."

"Idiot. This isn't the first time I've overdone it." Rukia replied as she frowned lightly at him. "Ever since I've gotten my powers back, I've been working hard with Sode no Shirayuki so I could get stronger. Sometimes I'd train for so long that my hands would go numb from the cold of my own techniques."

Ichigo's features hardened. "Why would you go and do something stupid like that?"

Rukia fell silent for a few moments, as though she didn't know if she wanted to answer him or not.

"Because I hate the sight of you fighting alone." She finally answered.

"Rukia…" Ichigo muttered in surprise.

"But it's not just me. There's Renji, Chad, Inoue, and Ishida too - we're all trying our best to catch up to you." Rukia continued. "We've all been training these last two years for the power to stand beside you."

She gently laid her head against his back and her eyes softened. "The only time I ever want to see your backside is when you're carrying me like this."

Ichigo couldn't help but smile slightly at the sincerity of her words, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come and his normal scowl quickly replaced it.

"Hey, don't get too comfortable." He said rudely. "You're really heavy, you know?"

"Tawake." Rukia said harshly as she glared at him. "As if I actually enjoy being carried by the likes of you."

Rukia's head fell against his backside once more and she smiled lightly, not realizing that Ichigo was doing the exact same. The two of them slowly disappeared into the quiet snowy night, leaving nothing more than just footprints in the snow.

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_End of Chapter 4_

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	5. Those Lost Days

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Note:** Fifth theme. May contain errors. I've noticed how my word count has gotten progressively lower since chapter three. aghdahgdadhgahdadjaakjllk

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_Theme: Memories_

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><p><em><strong>Those Lost Days<strong>_

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The landscape of Karakura Town was covered by a mild orange glow. The setting sun slowly disappeared into the horizon. At that moment, Kuchiki Rukia and Kurosaki Ichigo were walking together through one of the empty streets below, casting long shadows on the ground as they stepped lightly along the sidewalk. Neither of them spoke to one another and seemed too preoccupied with their own thoughts.

"I'm sorry I couldn't spend any time with you today." Ichigo said, finally breaking the silence that had built up between them. "I know you don't normally have any free time."

"Don't worry about it." Rukia replied. She huffed slightly before giving him a small grin. "You sure are busy nowadays, Ichigo."

"I could say the same for you." Ichigo said, frowning lightly at her. He sighed dejectedly before he continued. "We use to be able to spend time together, but I guess things are different now, aren't they?"

Rukia's gaze lowered and she fell silent. Ichigo glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, surprised to see such a grim expression on her face.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

She looked at him with surprise, but quickly shook her head.

"No, I was just thinking about how much things have changed since we first met." Rukia said. A nostalgic smile tugged at her lips as she continued. "I remember how much time we were able to spend together back then, but now it seems as though every time we back come together, we just end up separating again."

She turned to him and gave him a sad smile. "That's a really sad thought, isn't it?"

"Ah..." Ichigo replied quietly. "I remember those times. Those memories still burn clearly in my head. But regardless of the reason why, I had always believed that you'd come back sooner or later..." He paused for a moment. "Even though I had spent the last seventeen months wondering if that was really true or not."

"Ichigo..." Rukia muttered with surprise.

His expression softened. "But I realized something important when you finally did come back."

"Hm? What's that?" She asked.

"I realized that it's not important whether we have to separate again, nor is it important if we're going to be separated for a long time." Ichigo said as he turned to her. "You're here with me right now, aren't you?"

He smiled lightly before looking away again. "Why should anything else matter then?"

Rukia's footsteps came to a sudden halt. With a tender expression unlike any other, she watched as Ichigo continued to walk away in front of her. The memories of those days together flickered before her in a whirlwind of images, and as they disappeared into the wind, she smiled softly, realizing just how true his words were.

'That's right.' Rukia thought to herself. 'I'd been so worried about how much things have changed, that I've lost sight of what was really important.'

Finally noticing that she hadn't been moving, Ichigo slowly turned to her. "Oi, you coming or what?"

"Ah!" Rukia replied as she started to run back up to his side.

'Thanks for reminding me, Ichigo.'

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_End of Chapter 5_

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	6. Stand Up for You

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Note:** Sixth theme. May contain errors.

Note: Chapter number 7 is linking incorrectly to the story. To find it, either replace the 6 in the url with a 7, or use the 'go to last chapter' button that is next to the story title. Hopefully this gets fixed.

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_Theme: Vice Captain Duty_

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><p><em><strong>Stand Up for You<strong>_

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Kuchiki Rukia sighed as she sat down at her desk.

She was back inside her workplace at the Thirteenth Division. The lieutenant quarters were an inconspicuous place; the only thing that normally marked the difference from one ranked-officer's office to another was the insignia of their division that hung at the wall. It was a place of official Shinigami business after all, so anything besides a few personal potted plants and wall scrolls was forbidden.

Perhaps that was why Kurosaki Ichigo stuck out like a sore thumb when he sat down in a chair off in the corner. Just like Rukia, he looked incredibly tired out, but unlike her, he didn't even try to hide it.

"Ah, finally." Ichigo said as he leaned back in his chair. He spread his arms over the sides. "It's over."

"Don't complain." Rukia said as she turned to him with a small frown. "It's your fault for wanting to tag along while I did my lieutenant duties."

"You almost make it sound like I was a bother to you." Ichigo replied off-handedly.

"Actually, I was pleasantly surprised with how well you behaved today." Rukia admitted as she contemplated on the past day. "Besides the lack of honorifics and over familiarity with people -" In the background, Ichigo frowned at the mention of it. "- You managed very well to stay out of trouble. I was impressed."

She turned to him, and her eyebrows furrowed. "At least until we met up with the new recruits."

"Che." Ichigo grunted as he looked away with a scowl. "Are you still mad about that? I didn't even hurt him that much. It was only one punch."

"You managed to knock out all of his teeth." Rukia said flatly. She got up and walked over, standing a few feet before him with her hands on her hips as though she was a parent scolding a child. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Still not meeting her eyes, Ichigo's frown deepened. From close up, he almost looked like a little kid pouting. "He deserved it."

"Why did you do it?" She asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Ichigo's features hardened. "Because he said that you weren't fit to be a lieutenant."

Rukia was surprised by his statement, but her face remained impassive in spite of it.

"You should have let me take care of it." She said sternly.

He stared at her resolutely. "Did you really expect me to just stand there and let him bad mouth you like that?"

"No." Rukia replied. "But you should have handled it differently."

"What would you have done if you were in my position then?" He asked heatedly. "If you heard people making me out to be an idiot?"

"Oh, I hear that all the time." Rukia said humorously, getting a glare from Ichigo. She looked up innocently in thought. "Nii-sama says stuff like that all the time. Renji also mentions it once in a while when we talk about you. Ah, even Hitsugaya-taichou -"

"Enough, I get it!" Ichigo yelled angrily as he stood up.

"Tawake." Rukia said seriously, causing him to look at her with surprise. She had a firm expression on her face; it reminded him of all those times when she had scolded him. "I do what I always do when I hear such things. I simply choose not to believe them. I simply tell myself..."

Her violet eyes radiated with sincerity as she spoke. "'That's not the Ichigo that I know.'"

"Rukia..." Ichigo muttered.

She huffed in slight frustration, and her eyes fell.

"Even though I know it's wrong for me to say this, but I'm really happy that you did that for me." Rukia said quietly, trying to hide the smile that tugged at her lips. She raised her gaze so she could look at him once more. "I just don't want you to get into any trouble for my sake. I'm not worth that kind of trouble."

It was Ichigo's turn to huff this time, and he ruffled the back of his orange hair. He looked away determinedly as his mouth wore into a thin line. Rukia stared at him, unable to read what he was thinking that moment.

"You said the same thing when I had rescued you so long ago." He finally said as his arm dropped back to his side. He clenched his hand slightly. "So, I'll give you the same response I did last time."

He turned back to her and smirked. "I reject your opinion."

Rukia's eyes lit up with surprise for a moment and she breathed out a defeated sigh, smiling lightly as she looked at him.

"You never change, do you?" She asked.

Ichigo returned the smile she gave him.

"That's my line, idiot."

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_End of Chapter 6_

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	7. Half Soul

**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Note:** Last theme. It may contain more errors than usual because I had to rush. I'm very happy I made it to the end of the challenge. Trying to keep up pace and quality in my writing has been both fun and frustrating at the same time.

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_Theme: Ichigo_

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><p><em><strong>HalfSoul**_

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A small figure quickly walked across the moonlit path of the Thirteenth Division. Heading to the main building was none other than Kuchiki Rukia; with her eyebrows slightly knotted and her mouth worn into a thin line, it was obvious that something was bothering her. Her movements were quick and purposeful, and with each step she took, the memories of the day replayed in her mind.

She remembered the morning before she left Soul Society.

"_You're off-duty today." Ukitake Juushirou said._

_Rukia blinked a few times in confusion as she stared at her captain._

"_I am?" She asked almost childishly. She frowned. "But we don't normally get days off - actually, we never get days off."_

_Ukitake only smiled at her. "It's a special occasion."_

She remembered the morning at the Kurosaki household.

"_Hey Ichigo, I just came back from Soul Society. It seems like I'm off-duty today. Are you awake?" Rukia said as she knocked on the door to his room. "I hope you don't plan on sleeping in today!" _

_She frowned lightly when she heard no response. She quickly turned the knob to open the door only to be welcomed by an empty room. To her surprise, the man she was looking for wasn't there in his bed where he normally would have been, but was instead replaced by a familiar rabbit plushy that she had played with a few days ago at the store._

_She slowly walked over and picked it up, reading the small tag that was attached to its arm._

'_お誕生日おめでと__う__, __ルキ__ア'_

She remembered what happened after that.

"_Happy Birthday, Rukia-chan!"_

_Rukia stood there at the bottom of the stairs, staring at both Yuzu and Isshin with a bewildered expression as the two of them struck a silly pose. Between the two louder Kurosaki family members stood Karin, aloof and calm as usual. She held a small, rabbit-shaped birthday cake in her hands and smiled lightly at Rukia._

"_Happy Birthday, Nee-san." She said respectfully._

_Rukia was speechless, and it took her a moment to find herself again. "You guys made me a cake?"_

"_Yep!" Yuzu said brightly. "Ichi-nii actually helped me make it last night." She continued, causing Rukia to look at her with surprise. "I didn't even know that he was able to cook, but I guess he learned recently."_

She remembered what happened later that afternoon.

_Rukia nearly stumbled. Inoue Orihime was dragging her by her arm with a bright smile on her face. She was moving almost as fast as her legs allowed her to move. As they passed the doors of different apartments, Rukia continued looking confused, and quickly called out to her._

"_Inoue, why are you -"_

"_No time to explain, Kuchiki-san!" She interrupted her._

_The two of them came to a stop in front of an apartment, and Inoue dramatically swung open the door for Rukia. _

"_Happy Birthday!" A bunch of voices yelled. _

_Rukia stood in the doorway with a look of shock._

"_What the..." She muttered with surprise._

"_Kurosaki-kun invited everyone to celebrate your birthday." Inoue said brightly. She motioned to the apartment. "He must have been really busy, putting this all together." _

_Rukia looked around. Birthday decorations littered the small apartment. All her friends from the material world were there, laughing, smiling, and just having a great time. But the more she looked around, the more people she noticed, and the more obvious she felt that something important was missing. _

_At her side, Inoue looked concerned as she looked around. "I wonder where he is right now, though. I haven't seen him all day."_

"_Ah..." Rukia replied quietly. "I haven't either."_

The memories faded away as she came to a halt a small distance away from the entrance. She looked up at the tall figure that was walking past the gate.

Kurosaki Ichigo looked agitated as he continued to walk on without noticing her. On his face was the scowl that had always seemed permanently glued to his face. Rukia stared at him impassively. Though he often stood out from both humans and Shinigami alike, he was wearing something that made him stand out even further.

He was wearing the lieutenant badge of her division on his arm.

"Ichigo!" She called out to him.

Ichigo looked in her direction, and his eyes widened at the sight of her.

"Rukia...!" He said with surprise as she walked up to him. "What are you doing here?"

"That's my line, you idiot." Rukia said as she stopped a few feet in front of him with a small frown. She crossed her arms. "Or should I say, Kurosaki-fukutaichou?"

Ichigo's expression deadpanned and he looked away.

"My formal title today was actually 'Shinigami Kurosaki-fukutaichou Daiko.'" He said in slight annoyance. "Renji was good enough to continually remind me of -"

"Tawake!" She yelled, interrupting him.

Ichigo quickly turned back to her and his eyes lit up with surprise. Rukia was looking down at her feet with a soft and tender expression.

"You used your own hard earned money to buy me a present, even when I told you not to. You burned yourself learning how to cooking just so you can help make a stupid cake for me. You even asked Nii-sama to let me have this day off, even at your own expense." She said quietly. "That's why you spent yesterday with me, didn't you? So you could learn my duties so you could take my place for the day."

She raised her eyes so she could look at him. "No wonder you've been so busy. You've been setting up everything just for me, just for this day."

And her eyes fell once more back to the ground.

"You idiot." She muttered softly. "You big idiot."

She looked like she was about to cry, which made Ichigo look away uncomfortably. He scratched the back of his head, huffing as he turned back to her with a determined scowl on his face.

"Don't make that kind of face, idiot." He said firmly. His eyes shifted away. "You should be a little bit happier you know, after all the things I did for you."

"I'm not happy." Rukia replied. Ichigo looked at her with surprise.

"Why?" He asked.

She looked up at him and answered him. "Because you weren't there today."

Ichigo's eyes lit up for a moment. The way she looked at him was a bit upsetting. The smallest hint of disappointment was reflected in her features. He hated that look. He gave a quick huff of frustration as he thought over a solution.

"Fine." He said, scratching the back of his head again. "Then let me make it up to you. Let's go do something together right now. It's still your birthday isn't it?"

"It's already way past midnight, fool." Rukia said, seemingly resisting the urge to hit him.

The realization that her birthday was over hit Ichigo harder than she probably could have. "Geh..."

Rukia stared at his dejected expression and started to laugh, much to his surprise. It wasn't the fake laugh that she normally used with his friends in the real world, or the polite laugh she used with her captain and brother; it was the laugh that was completely unburdened by social masks.

"Bakamono." She said as she grinned at him. "There's nothing for you to make up for. You've already done so much for me. Just knowing that you would go so far for my sake has already made me very happy, and even though you weren't there with me today, just being here with you right now is enough."

She smiled. "Thank you for everything, Ichigo."

Ichigo smiled back.

"Don't mention it, Rukia." He replied.

Rukia continued to stare at him, as though there was more that she wanted to say. Ichigo looked at her questioningly, unable to read what she was thinking.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"You told me once that no matter how different I really was, I'm just like any other girl." Rukia said firmly. "So what would a normal girl do in a situation like this?"

Rukia took a few steps towards him. Ichigo seemed to realize what was going to happen and took a quick step back. This continued for a moment, where every step she took towards him, he would take a step back.

"What are you doing?" Rukia asked blankly.

"That's my line!" Ichigo replied heatedly. He almost looked afraid. "Why are you coming so close?"

"To give you a hug." She said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait -" Ichigo yelled, holding out his hand as if trying to stop a car. "Let's talk about this first!"

Rukia smirked. "Are you afraid of a simple hug, Ichigo?"

Ichigo glared at her, knowing that it was an insult to his pride. A look of determination suddenly flashed across his features.

"No." He replied.

Rukia walked up to him and gently wrapped her arms around his waist. She smiled lightly as she laid her head against his chest, taking in his scent, his warmth – his everything. Ichigo's arms lay awkwardly at his side as he determinedly looked up. Though he was scowling lightly, his cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment.

Footsteps sounded off nearby, and the both of them perked up at the sound of it.

"Someone's coming." Ichigo said frantically as he tried to push her off.

Rukia smirked, and continued to keep a hold on him. "What's wrong? Afraid of getting seen?"

"I'm serious Rukia! Hurry up and let go of me!"

"Heh, so you are afraid."

"GODDAMN IT RUKIA!"

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